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20 years later Comiskey is better. The landscaping, green seats, shortening of the upper deck and the upper deck roof have made it more hospitable and eliminated the sterile feeling.
I still hate being banished to the upper deck and not being able to walk the main concourse unless I buy a lower level ticket, but really enjoy walking around Comiskey during a ballgame. Wrigley has less food choices and is not suitable for walking around. Although Comiskey is a good venue for actually watching the game, Wrigley is still better. Overall, Comiskey is a better stadium.

I understand prevailing winds and not having batters facing the sun, but not integrating the skyline into the view better was a mistake. I did enjoy a game during the '96 season from the left field upper deck and as the bullpen was torched, so was an upper floor unit from Robert Taylor. The symbolism was priceless.

The fact is, the useful life of a sports facility these days is 40-50 years. Look at all of the circular, cookie-cutter stadiums built during the 1960's. Most have already been torn down.

The same fate awaits New Comiskey Park, which is midway through its useful life. In another 20-30 years, the Sox will be demanding a new facility. Just like last time, they are going to get it "right this time", and the new stadium will be the thing that finally gives them party with the Cubs.

Unlike the current stadium, it will be a retro design, opposite hand of the current stadium, with home plate in the exact location as the home plate of old Comiskey. It will have the skyline views from the right field upper deck. It will have the cool lake breezes and plenty of shade on the hot summer days. Because it is a modern design, it will have all the modern amenities with none of the discomforts of Wrigley Field.

And because its the White Sox, you and I will be asked to subsidize it out of our taxes.

Hopefully, our political leaders will have learned from the past mistakes and let the leeches leave if that is what they really want to do.

The fact is, the useful life of a sports facility these days is 40-50 years. Look at all of the circular, cookie-cutter stadiums built during the 1960's. Most have already been torn down.

The same fate awaits New Comiskey Park, which is midway through its useful life. In another 20-30 years, the Sox will be demanding a new facility. Just like last time, they are going to get it "right this time", and the new stadium will be the thing that finally gives them party with the Cubs.

Unlike the current stadium, it will be a retro design, opposite hand of the current stadium, with home plate in the exact location as the home plate of old Comiskey. It will have the skyline views from the right field upper deck. It will have the cool lake breezes and plenty of shade on the hot summer days. Because it is a modern design, it will have all the modern amenities with none of the discomforts of Wrigley Field.

And because its the White Sox, you and I will be asked to subsidize it out of our taxes.

Hopefully, our political leaders will have learned from the past mistakes and let the leeches leave if that is what they really want to do.

The main reason the "cookie cutter" stadiums were torn down was becasue they were designed to be multi-purpose stadiums for both baseball and football. Sight lines for both were a compromise. They also did not have the luxury boxes and luxury amenities that are a key part of generating revenue in the current business models. If useful life is defined as structurally sound & safe-you're wrong. If useful life is defined as meeting the demands of ownership and spectators, then you have a valid point.

Revenue models are what drove the redesign of Soldier Field and when the model that allow the Illinois Sports Facility Authority to subsidize the operation of the Chicago American League Major League Baseball Franchise are no longer viable, changes wil happen.

I suspect the nature of those changes will first be financial, driven by typically ridiculously generous benefits to the appointed fat cats who likely will screw-up something (such as what happened at the DuPage Water Commmission). If that also happens when the Sox or Bears also have some change in leadership LOOK OUT BELOW because guys not as saavy as Ted Phillips or Jerry Reinsdorf will probably **** off the wrong guy at the wrong time (can you say "not NOW Tom Ricketts"... ) and be left with some expensive needs and no one to finance them...

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